Finnair seeks Indian frequent flyer partner; third destination

PTI|

Jul 29, 2007, 12.00 PM IST

0Comments

NEW DELHI: Finland's flag carrier Finnair, which operates two flights to as many Indian gateways from Helsinki, is working on a frequent flyer partnership with an Indian carrier as a precursor to a code share agreement.

Finnair already has interline agreements with the likes of Jet Airways, Kingfisher Airlines and Indian, under which airline partners accept each other's travel tickets.

"We are trying to find an Indian partner for frequent flyer programme," Finnair Director (India region) Taina Tornstrom told media, adding this would take the airline closer to a code share agreement.

A code share pact would allow airlines to sell tickets on routes and flights operated by a partner as their own.

Finnair, whose second Indian service to Mumbai was added within eight months of flying to New Delhi in October last, has also asked the Finnish government to revisit the air services agreement with India to increase the number of flights to the sub-continent.

Under the existing agreement, New Delhi allows two direct flights from Finland with reciprocal rights to Indian carriers. But while Finnair operates seven flights to New Delhi and five to Mumbai per week, Indian carriers are yet to commence operations to the Nordic country.

"We will have to first bring our Mumbai service to seven days a week before we can ask for more destinations... Mumbai will become seven by summer next year and we are looking at a third destination in south India," Tornstrom said.

The number of Indian visitors to Finland has been going up by about 40-50 per cent from 25,000 overnights in 2005 to 40,000 last year.